Stronach: Pimlico Could Keep Preakness, Become An ‘Urban Farm’

Although 85-year-old Frank Stronach has previously suggested he was considering moving the Preakness from struggling Pimlico Race Course to the recently-renovated Laurel Park, a Baltimore Sun interview published Tuesday suggested he may be open to changing his mind.

Noting his concern about poverty in the area surrounding Pimlico, Stronach suggested he would like to see the site partially redeveloped into an urban farm campus which could include housing, recreation, and daycare, providing jobs and fresh food to the track's neighbors.

Stronach said he has not had serious talks with city management about the idea. When contacted by The Sun, State Delegate Samuel “Sandy” Rosenberg suggested he hopes a “more productive” plan for Pimlico will emerge from an ongoing study run by the Maryland Stadium Authority.